Golden Age Publishers: Centaur

September 19, 2011
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AC Comics has reprinted, and thus preserved, many stories from the time period known as the Golden-Age of comics. However, little has been done from Centaur. It is one of the earliest publishers and material is hard to locate. The Fire Man and an interview with his creator, Martin Filchock appears in Men of Mystery #23 which you can buy now in our Online Store. There is also a brief interview with Mr. Filchock under “Golden Age Articles”.

Centaur was one of the earliest and most important comic book publishers. This often-overlooked pioneer was the seminal proving ground (in one incarnation or another) for virtually all of the early creative greats- including Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster (Superman), Bob Kane (Batman), Will Eisner (The Spirit), Bill Everett (The Sub-Mariner), Jack Cole (Plastic Man), Carl Burgos (Human Torch), and a legion of others. Born of a mixed lineage, it’s precursors include The Comics Magazine Company, Inc., started in May of 1936 by John Mahon and Bill Cook, former employees of Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson at his National Allied Publications, which would later become DC Comics. It’s lineage also includes Star Comics; initiated by Harry “A” Chesler in February of 1937. Frank Temerson and I. W. Ullman formed Ultem Publications and bought out Chesler’s Star Comics, keeping him on as editor. In September of ’37, Ultem also took over Mahon and Cook’s line. In January of 1938, Joe Hardie and Fred Gardner bought out Ultem and began Centaur Comics in March of 1938.

Wildly creative, original and interesting, the Centaur Comics line ceased publication in 1942, due to poor distribution, although Joe Hardie remained in business with a line of crossword puzzle books and periodicals which ran quite successfully until they were sold off in the 1970’s. AC wiis bringing the Centaur line and it’s history out of the shadows of the past and into the hands of collectors and historians with the help of The Bookery Fantasy Collection, the research of Hames Ware, Henry Steele and Lee Boyette, and interviews with actual Centaur creators. Special thanks to Steve Topper, Steve Bates and Tim Cottrill!

Check out Men of Mystery 83. This 200-plus page blockbuster is particularly special, as it contains MORE pages of coverage on the legendary (and rare) CENTAUR COMICS line than any book previously published anywhere at any time!!